Zigzag stitch
Encyclopedia
A zigzag stitch is variant geometry of the lockstitch
. It is a back-and-forth stitch used where a straight stitch will not suffice, such as in reinforcing buttonholes, in stitching stretchable fabrics, and in temporarily joining two work pieces edge-to-edge.
When creating a zigzag stitch, the back-and-forth motion of the sewing machine
's needle is controlled by a cam
. As the cam rotates, a fingerlike follower, connected to the needle bar, rides along the cam and tracks its indentations. As the follower moves in and out, the needle bar is moved from side to side. Very old sewing machines lack this hardware and so cannot natively produce a zigzag stitch, but there are often shank-driven attachments available which enable them to do so.
The zigzagger's foot has longitudinal grooves on its underside, facing the material, which confer traction only sideways. This allows the zigzagger to move the material side to side while the machine's feed dogs
are simultaneously moving the material forward or backward in the usual manner.
Four cams are included. There are also sets of additional different cams, four cams per set, sold as "Singer Stitch Patterns for Automatic Zigzagger". All cam sets are Singer part number 161008, and contain the following cams:
*The #2 red set is included with the 160985 and 161102 zigzaggers.
**Older #2 white sets have red-colored cams.
Two versions were made:
produced a zigzag attachment like the others. It was called the "White Zigzag Attachment", part number 1640. Rather than using cams or templates, it is much simpler, offering just a single control for adjusting the bight (zigzag width).
Lockstitch
A lockstitch is the most common mechanical stitch made by a sewing machine. The term "single needle stitching", often found on dress shirt labels, refers to lockstitch.-Structure:...
. It is a back-and-forth stitch used where a straight stitch will not suffice, such as in reinforcing buttonholes, in stitching stretchable fabrics, and in temporarily joining two work pieces edge-to-edge.
When creating a zigzag stitch, the back-and-forth motion of the sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
's needle is controlled by a cam
Cam
A cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice-versa. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path...
. As the cam rotates, a fingerlike follower, connected to the needle bar, rides along the cam and tracks its indentations. As the follower moves in and out, the needle bar is moved from side to side. Very old sewing machines lack this hardware and so cannot natively produce a zigzag stitch, but there are often shank-driven attachments available which enable them to do so.
Zigzagger attachments
Older sewing machines which only sew a straight stitch can be adapted to sew a zigzag by means of an attachment. The attachment replaces the machine's presser foot with its own, and draws mechanical power from the machine's needle clamp (which requires the needle clamp to have a side-facing thumbscrew). It creates a zigzag by mechanically moving the fabric side to side as the machine runs.The zigzagger's foot has longitudinal grooves on its underside, facing the material, which confer traction only sideways. This allows the zigzagger to move the material side to side while the machine's feed dogs
Feed dogs
Feed dogs are the critical component of a "drop feed" sewing machine. A set of feed dogs typically resembles two or three short, thin metal bars, crosscut with diagonal teeth, which move back and forth in slots in a sewing machine's needle plate...
are simultaneously moving the material forward or backward in the usual manner.
Singer zigzaggers
Singer produced variety of "Singer Automatic Zigzagger" attachments over the years, including part numbers 160985 and 161102. These zigzaggers are equipped with pop-in cams (called "Stitch Patterns") for making four different zigzag stitches, as well as a bight control for choosing the zigzag width.Four cams are included. There are also sets of additional different cams, four cams per set, sold as "Singer Stitch Patterns for Automatic Zigzagger". All cam sets are Singer part number 161008, and contain the following cams:
| Set number | Cam part number | Pattern name |
|---|---|---|
| #2 red (included*) |
161000 | Zigzag |
| 161001 | Blind Stitch | |
| 161002 | Domino Stitch | |
| 161003 | Arrowhead Stitch | |
| #2 white** | 161004 | Scallops |
| 161005 | Multiple Stitch | |
| 161006 | Walls of Troy | |
| 161007 | Icicle | |
| #3 blue | 161067 | Key |
| 161068 | Ball | |
| 161069 | Block | |
| 161070 | Shingle | |
| #4 yellow | 161071 | Curved Mending |
| 161072 | Open Scallop | |
| 161073 | Three Step | |
| 161074 | Solid Scallop |
*The #2 red set is included with the 160985 and 161102 zigzaggers.
**Older #2 white sets have red-colored cams.
"YS Star" zigzagger
"YS Star" is a brand of Japanese sewing accessories that once included a zigzagger, model YS-7. Like the Singer zigzagger, it fits almost any low-shank sewing machine and draws mechanical power via an arm connected to the machine's needle clamp. Its stitch pattern is controlled by small flat rectangular metal templates, seven of which are included.Two versions were made:
| Version | Name | Body | Templates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older | "Automatic Zig-Zager" [sic] on box, "Automatic Zigzager" [sic] on user manual |
Red plastic over chromed metal | 7 patterns on 7 single-ended templates |
| Newer | ? | Green plastic over chromed metal | 7 patterns on 3 double-ended and 1 single-ended templates |
White zigzagger
The White Sewing Machine CompanyWhite Sewing Machine Company
White Sewing Machine Company was a sewing machine company founded in 1858 in Templeton, Massachusetts by Thomas H. White and based in Cleveland, Ohio since 1866. Founded as the White Manufacturing Company it took the White Sewing Machine Company name when it was incorporated in 1876.The company...
produced a zigzag attachment like the others. It was called the "White Zigzag Attachment", part number 1640. Rather than using cams or templates, it is much simpler, offering just a single control for adjusting the bight (zigzag width).